Memoirs of a Heropon
by EvilWaffleS
Summary: Inspired to write this by a close friend of mine who I call Alpha. He loves Riki, and so do I, so I figured I'd do a story of how Riki came to be!
1. Riki's parents and birth

Ok, so I've been loving Xenoblade, and I love Riki, and follow him on Twitter (nerdy right) I have also converted a friend, whom I call Alpha Midget to Riki fandom, so I wanted to write a comedic outlook and the bibliography of the cute little Heropon, sorta like the one the Meerkat Aleksandr Orlov has and dedicate it to Alpha!

* * *

><p>Riki was way out of his depth from birth. So it was hardly a surprise that at aged 40 he was in severe debt. It was hardly a surprise that if, by magic, Dunga had predicted him to be Heropon. He was just lucky that the Homs and High Entia, Melia had come along, god forbid what he'd be doing otherwise...<p>

-x-x-

Nopon birthing was a strange ritual, in fact, Nopon relationships were a complex affair. Nopons were much like Emperor Penguins, but before getting to Riki's birth, Riki would like to talk about Riki's parents.

Riki's mother, Furor was a very desirable young Nopon. What was missed from the Nopon legends and stories was that Furor was in fact the youngest of Chief Dunga's Littlepon. Riki's father, Rara, was a worker in the pollen works, and a rugged character. Rough around the edges from the many trips into Makna's Yellow Flower Grove to collect Pollen Orbs.

The life of the Nopon that work in the Pollen Works is hard, work was twenty-four hours straight, you'd then have a day off and work the day after for another twenty-four hours. Furor used to wake up at the same time as the workers in the pollen works, just to watch the young Heropon who helped make her home function.

The typical Nopon reached maturity at 18, which was the age which Furor and Rara were. At age 18, Nopon were allowed to marry, and while relationships were permitted from the age of twelve onwards while Nopon were still in education no Littlepon were born until at least a year after marriage. Nopon lived in a society where there was no sex before marriage, even the biological clocks of Nopon would not allow Littlepon to be born to Nopon that were not married – it was a mysterious evolutionary trait.

Furor sighed dreamily as at six am the pollen workers on duty that day, roughly ten people – 4 boys and 6 girls lined up ready to here the schedule. Each was assigned a number, from 1-3 and the extra Nopon would be delgated Pollen Orb collection. The last Nopon, was, as usual the late comer – Rara.

"Rara, you're on orb collection again." The head pollen-orb maker delegated him.

"Rara is happy, Rara love pollen orb collection!" In truth, Rara just loved donning all his gear and fending for himself in Makna.

"Rara wait!" Furor called, rushing down to meet him.

"Good morning Furor, why not still in bed?" Rara smiled, grabbing his biter from his kit bag.

"Furor not tired, Rara needs new Biter!" She tapped the slightly rotten Biter with her wing.

"Rara fine! Rara strong!" He beat swung the Biter with his wing.

"Would Rara protect Furor if she was in danger?"

"Of course Rara would! Rara know Chief loves his Littlepon, and Rara know how important Littlepon of Chief are."

"That not what Furor mean!"

"Then what does Furor mean?" Rara asked confused, for all his strength and hilarity, he was absolutely clueless about Furor's flirting with him.

"Nothing Rara, you should go before you get in trouble!" Furor giggled. "Plus, Dadapon will catch me out of bed if I don't go soon."

This was a regular thing, every morning she would say goodbye to him, then when he returned with the first batch of pollen orbs she would sit and eat lunch with him and finally very late at night when he returned with the second batch, she would sneak out of her home and greet him. Her father hated him, and it was something Furor could not understand.

One morning, after her morning greeting, she returned to her room to see her dad waiting, looking annoyed.

"Dadapon?"

"What did Dadapon tell you? Rara is no good for you!"

"Rara has been Furor's friend since school! Furor love spending time with Rara! Furor love Rara!" There was a fury in her father's eyes she had never seen before. When he continued to rage at her, she simply ran out the door, straight to the nearest diving board she could use to get into the reservoir and leapt off.

She was running through Makna, not sure which way was which, but she knew roughly which way to get to the flower grove. What she didn't know was the vicious Lazy Bluco which made its home in the flower growth, which hated being disturbed. She tumbled through the forest, past the Eks and the harmless guardians of Frontier in fits of tears. She stumbled into the yellow flower patches, desperate to find Rara.

"Rara? Rara? Rara!" She cried. Rara was nowhere to be found. "Rara!" She sobbed, the ground shuddered beneath her, sending shockwaves of fear through her.

She had awoken the evil Lazy Bluco by mistake, the thing was crawling towards her. She screamed, she was terrified of anything creepy that crawled, and this thing was crawling straight towards her ready to destroy her.

"Behave!" The next thing she knew, the beast had turned away from her to face her rescuer.

"R-Rara!" She called in delight.

"Furor, run! Hide in the trees there!" He smacked the beast straight across the nose with his Biter.

She crawled to her feet and scurried off into the deep grass and up the trees, hanging onto the branches with her wings. Rara ran in the direction of the lake, he knew the Bluco would get bored and give up the chase, all he simply had to do was climb into the trees and swing back across to Furor to check she was ok.

"Furor, are you ok?" He wrapped his wings around the shivering form of the pink Nopon.

"Thank you Rara! Thank you!" She cried out, sobbing into his fur.

"Furor, forest is dangerous. You shouldn't be here."

"Oh Rara!" She sobbed. "Dadapon got mad, I was scared, I ran and ran and you saved me!" She leapt up and kissed him. "Thank you Rara! Thank you!"

"N-no problem Furor, would you like to help Rara collect pollen orbs?"

"Y-yes, ok!"

Little did they know, from the top of the Nopon tower, the head of the pollen works had been watching over the pair with his special magnifying-goggles.

"You're a smart boy Rara..." He smiled to himself.

-x-x-

Furor admitted to Rara how she felt about him. At first, he thought she was kidding, being sympathetic towards him and thankful for him saving her life, but, over time he realised she was genuine. They kept their blossoming relationship secret, mostly leaving it to late night rendezvous down by the sparkling reservoir on Rara's second trip back from the yellow flower grove.

Months after the incident involving the Bluco, Rara was holding Furor tight with his wings, she was snuggling into his blue fur when she spotted a small lily pad floating towards her. Moonlight sparkled from something in the middle.

"Rara, what's that?" She asked.

"Pick it up." She crawled into the reservoir and pulled the sparkly object from the lily.

"A ring?" She was confused. Next thing she knew, Rara was on the floor, one wing supporting him, his head bowed down.

"I want you to marry me Furor. Would you?" He smiled, looking up.

"Of course Rara!" She wrapped her wings around him tight, squeezing the air from his lungs.

There was just one small problem, there was no Nopon marriage without approval from elite members of Frontier Village. That meant ideally the chief, but that was clearly not a possibility. The only other Nopon's valid to give approval were the head of pollen production or the Chief's advisor.

"Congratulations." Rara's boss smirked from behind them.

"Ah! Zalu!" They both quickly pulled away from each other.

"It's ok, I know. Congratulations littlepon, I am proud." He smiled. "You have my blessing, you may marry. Do not worry Furor, I will not tell Chief Dunga."

"Thank you Zalu!" She cried in delight.

He then explained how he knew they liked each other and of Rara's plan to propose.

-x-x-

They tied the knot, which meant that Furor's body clock had started ticking, and one year later, she was pregnant.

She was scared, her Dadapon did not know of her marriage, and when he realised she was pregnant, while angry he had no choice but to accept that the life in her belly was a symbol of how much she genuinely she loved Rara.

When a Nopon was pregnant, the male Nopon built the house for the family. They shared the house and a week before giving birth the female would have to do the only ritual a male Nopon would never be able to take part in.

There was a single lesson in Nopon education which would be female only. This was about the location of the Nopon birthing place. Female Nopon would leave a week before they were due to give birth with a sack full of essentials for her and her young pup's life until they can get back to Makna. They were taught the route, starting from the back exit of the food storage area, through the trees into a secret grove covered in flowers.

Rara had packed her essentials for her. In her bag was a week's worth of food, some red pollen orbs to provide essential lighting and warmth for her, some Hode camouflage to wrap the pup in and carry them back and some warm bedding.

"I love you Rara." She wrapped her wings around him in a deep embrace. She tried to look at her father, staring down on them from the platform above, but he turned from her.

"Zula, look after Rara for me." She hugged the head of the pollen works. He was more of her father to her than Chief Dunga now.

The next week was anxious for Rara, he longed for his wifeypon and new littlepon, so much so, he barely got any work done and Zula told him to go home.

Then late, a week later, Furor returned home exhausted. Rara rushed to her, embracing her tight and the new littlepon wrapped in the camouflage.

"Rara, this is Riki!" Furor opened the wrap a little so he could see the small round orb, no larger than a Hom's palm.

The littlepon was beige, with the same cross marking as the one Furor had on her chest. This was the birth of the future of the Nopon – Riki – the legendary Heropon!

* * *

><p>So...any good, review! Should I Keep updating...? Let me know if it's good enough! Thanks! - Slightly out of her comfort zone, EvilWaffleS x<p>

P.S. Add me on Twitter to post reviews you cba to put on fanfic, or requests (I quite enjoy doing them) or general suggestions SpyroChar (will be a picture of the real me playing baritone saxophone)


	2. Age 1: Why Dunga's beard was so long

By age 1, Nopon were able to speak and walk, however the wings were still massively under-developed and they Nopon pups would still have a problem walking, not that it stopped the mischievous future Heropon of course.

Riki brightened Rara and Furor's life in a way neither thought was possible. Despite being disowned by her father her brothers and sisters often came to visit Furor and her new littlepon, even Zula's children, who considered Furor and Rara a part of their family fawned over the new pup.

Riki was deemed a mischievous creature from birth. He loved to pull on the small developing wings of his cousins and refused to drink milk from his bottles when told, but he was vivacious, constantly hungry. He giggled excitedly when causing trouble, when playing with his dad's rusted biter or biting the tails and wings of his family.

When Rara was working, Furor would have to pry Riki from his father so he could work. She would then spend time with Riki, trying desperately to show him the wonders of Makna.

When Riki was one year old, he had already began to show signs of his father's desire for fun and pranks.

"Rara, maybe Furor should try and talk to Dadapon about Riki, about us."

"Zula? Why?" Rara asked, scooping Riki in his arms to stop him from eating all the family pollen orbs for the party later.

"I mean my proper Dadapon, Dunga. I want him to at least see Riki!"

"Ok Wifeypon, if you think it is wise." So, the pink Nopon scooped her pup into her wings and ascended up the village with her littlepon, shadowed most of the way by Rara who was on his way to visit Zula's only son.

"Dadapon?" Furor's home was different to that of all the other Nopon. Her father lived separate from the rest of her family during the day, if not in the middle of the village he would be up in that pathetic little prophecy hut that she loathed him for.

"Furor!" Her mother called. "And little Riki-pon!" She snatched the young pup from her daughter's arms.

"Grammypon!" Riki cooed, stumbling forward to reach for her, having to be stabilised by his Grandmother's wings on the way.

"Where is Papa?"

"In the prophecy hut, where he always is." She sighed heavily.

Since Furor had left to raise her son with Rara she had realised how disappointing her existence at home was. She saw the hostility between her parents clearer than she ever had growing up.  
>"Riki, time to go." Furor took her son back into her arms.<p>

"But Mamapon!" Riki moaned. "I want a cookie and kiss from Grammypon first!"

"Here you go." She gave him the pollen orb cookie. "You're a hungry one aren't you little Rikipon. You need to keep an eye on that, he's eating a lot. Hungry Littlepon take lots of money to feed."

"Mamapon, he's one! One year old Littlepon are always hungry!"

"Mamapon! Mamapon!" Furor's younger brother Drara ran up to his mother.

"Oh wow! Furor-pon!" He called, leaping into her arms, nearly crushing her pup.

"Drara-pon! Calm down! You'll hurt Riki!"

"Sorry sisterpon..." He sulked. "Are you gonna go see dada?"

"Yep, I'm going to take Riki to see him."

"Could you take this to him please? Mamapon made it for Dada but he didn't take it with him." He sulked. "And I added some of my pollen candy to it!"

"Alright then!"

"And here's one for baby Riki!"

Riki didn't have teeth, so he chose to gum the hard boiled pollen orb as Furor went to relocate her father.

"Dadapon?" She glanced into the hut and found him looking out the window.

"You have no right to call me that." He started.

"I'm sorry, but Furor loves who Furor loves, and Furor married Rara, Furor had pup with Rara! Furor and Rara need to raise Riki!" She tried to justify herself.

"That little pup does not need Rara, he does not need a father. Come home."

"No!" Furor yelled so loud it spooked Riki. She lowered Riki to the floor after her father exited the hut and leaned over the balcony. "Dadapon, forget what Furor did, at least just look at Riki for me..."

The purple Nopon chief turned, saw the little beige blob waddling towards him then turned away.

"I've looked at him."

"No you didn't!" Riki cried out. "Mamapon, who is this?"

"This is Dunga, he's your granddaddypon." His mother explained.

"But Riki thought Zula was granddaddypon." Riki whimpered. "Riki's head hurt!" He cried.

"See, not even recognising me as granddaddy shows how corrupt your littlepon is!"

"Dadapon, he's a littlepon! He no understand!" She stretched out a wing to steady her still struggling to walk baby.

"Dunga want his daughter back home with him, leave Rara, bring pup if you must."

"If I must? You make it sound like Riki a bad thing!" She cried, her baby was still waddling closer to the edge. "If I go home, Riki just watch Mamapon and dadapon argue, like Furor did when she was pup! Rara love Riki, Furor love Riki, Riki love us."

"Silence!" The Nopon chief bellowed, so much that for a brief moment the entire village fell silent.

Meanwhile, Riki was using his still under-developed wings to balance himself as he crept beside Dunga. He was fascinated by the short pink furry thing growing from Dunga's chin. He'd only ever seen hair growing on a Nopon's head before. So he reached out with a wing to grab the fur, thinking it was an Ash Fox or something stuck to Dunga's face.

"Yoeeoow!" Dunga threw back his head, so Riki was dangling off the edge of the balcony, still clinging on for dear life.

"Rikipon!" Furor cried out, worried for the safety of her baby. Riki on the other hand was giggling excitedly like whenever he was causing trouble as the pink fur stretched so much that Riki could tell he was almost on the level below of the tree house. Then his grip started to slip, he was slowly starting to slide down.

"Eep!" Riki fell. Then he began to giggle as he picked up speed.

"Furor went to see Dunga? Me no think that's a good idea..." Zula's son turned to Rara.

"Rara think that to..." Suddenly there was a sound akin to a volleyball bouncing off a wall as Riki came tumbling down onto Zula's son's head, bouncing off and into his dad's arms.

"Rikipon?" Rara asked, holding his son tight. "Where did you come from?"

"Up there!" The giggling mass pointed up.

"Oh dear..." Zula's son whimpered. "Look."

Leaning over the balcony was Furor, relieved to see her littlepon was safe and giggling at what had just happened. There, leaning over the balcony was the Nopon chief, who's beard was now long enough to touch the floor, whereas before it barely went low enough to touch his stomach.

"Rikipon!" Furor ran down and wrapped her wings around her baby.

"Hehe, Riki has Rara's taste for pranks!" He ruffled the small tuft of hair on the littlepon's head.

"Thank Bionis you're ok!" She snuggled her littlepon.

"Is Rikipon in trouble?" The baby asked.

"No Rikipon, you've just made everyone laugh, see!" Sure enough, most of the Nopon were laughing away.

Yes folks, Riki was why Dunga's beard was so long...


	3. Riki's epic journey! And the biter time

Riki has asked me to write the story as follows, he tells me of a journey he took when he was young with his father, during this journey he recounted many childhood stories, so he would like to "Kill two Quadwings with one stone" and recount both his epic teenage journey, and the childhood accounts...

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><p>Now Riki was fifteen years of age, he was already considerably rounder than most of his older cousins due to a vivacious appetite, but otherwise, he was very much the small Nopon that his parents adored.<p>

"Mamapon...where am I going with daddypon?" Riki asked as his mother continued to shove food and sleeping gear into the little Nopon's rucksack.

"You and your daddypon are going on a trip for a few months, you will be going to the mountains with daddypon first, then you'll be riding on the back on one of those Armu with daddypon through the swamps to the Hom colonies." Furor rustled the tuft of fur on the Nopon's head.

"Why won't Mamapon come too?" He asked, his eyes large watery pools.

"Because littlepon, I have things I need to take care of." She knelt down beside him. "You will still be able to talk to Mamapon."

"How?"

"With this." She hung a whistle around his neck.

"How do I talk to Mamapon with this?" He asked, tugging at the whistle made of fossil monkey which was secured around his neck using the hair of a Feris.

"You'll see littlepon..." She kissed his face and tried to hide her sadness.

She couldn't bear to tell her littlepon the real reason he had to leave for a little while. She wanted stuff to cool down between her family and her father. Since, ever since the incident involving Dunga's beard, things hadn't been very comfortable. She had a friend who lived in the Hom's colony 9, it was a good distance away from their home in Makna, and she hoped that by the time they had reached her and bought her and her 10 year old Nopon daughter back to Makna the heat may have died off a little.

"Why does Riki have to go to mountains?"

"Because Riki needs to help dadapon get some rocks needed for the Hom Homs in colony 9."

"Why can't Riki stay with you mama?"

"Cause she can't Rikipon."

Soon, they had saddled up the transport out of Makna, a rather calm and mild Eks which one of the many Nopon monster trainers had caught.

"Here we go Riki." His father pulled the towering monster towards them.

To an adult Nopon, an Eks was a sky-scraper monster of a beast but to a small boy of a Nopon like Riki, the clattering of the hoofs was enough to strike fear into him. Still, as a training warrior, he would have to be able to stand his ground against the Eks.

"Up you get." There was a small rope tied to a saddle on the side of the Eks, Riki assumed he must climb that. As he took hold of the rope, his father climbed atop a different Eks which was saddled with most of the camping gear. "Now Riki, don't move once you're up there?"

"What?" Riki asked as he took hold of the reigns and slipped down the saddle slight, causing a reaction from the Eks and making it charge into the forest.

"Riki!" His father was soon after him.

Riki wasn't sure how long it was before he managed to gain control of the beast, but it was long enough for him to become disorientated.

"Are you ok Riki?" His father asked.

"Y-yes, Riki's fine, just a little sore..."

"Haha, look Riki." He held the reigns of his Eks loosely and hooked his legs into slots in the saddle. "Now you won't slip."

Riki nervously shuffled forward in his seat and pushed his feet into the slots.

"Now take a grip of these reigns and tap gently." Now the Eks was under Riki's control. As they crossed the forest, the midday sun quickly descended into the night before they reached the opening into the mountains.

"Dadapon, I'm tired, can we stop?" Riki whined.

"Not for a while yet, we need to get to the mouth of the mountains first."

"...fine..." Riki had adopted the typical teenager attitude.

In the evening, once they reached the opening to the mountains the small Nopon was set the task of starting a fire, a task his mother would not be happy to see him doing after he nearly burnt a time mushroom down the last time he was asked to light a fire back home.

"Yooow!" The accident-prone Riki yelped.

"Is something wrong?" His father emerged from a clearing carrying some special leaves from the Gummy-what trees to use as kindle for the fire.

"I think I burnt my wing!" He cried.

"Stupid Nopon." His dad slapped him lightly around the head. "Here, I'll finish the fire, go wash the wound and get us some pollen orbs."

Riki couldn't help but sneak in an extra pollen orb for himself when he collected enough food for him and his father.

"No eating food." His dad scolded.

-x-x-

Late in the evening as his dad relaxed under the stars, he watched his son as he swung around one of the biters he had made himself. The device had many fatal errors, the main one being that the pole that supported the whole thing had been snapped in half twice after Riki hit a column with it during practice and was only taped together using weak glue made from Ash Fox fur. Riki had built the device based on one of his father's biters, although admittedly, his dad's was much more durable.

Riki's was called 'Queen Frog' since he had caught a frog in a little glass jar and suspended it to the top of two hooks like fangs from the main pole. He knew it wasn't built to last, and he had to be careful not to shatter the glass or his frog would escape, however, since he had added the frog he had been a lot more precise with his swings.

"I remember when you got my biter that time..." His dad mumbled lazily.

"Really? When did Riki do that?"

"When he was...two...I think..."

"What happened?"

"You don't remember?"

"Nope."

"Fine, take a seat and I'll tell you..."

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><p>Riki was two, and it was his first day of education with all the other Nopon. The first thing the Nopon youngsters had to be taught was the dangers of Makna. Most baby Nopon would never leave the forest, in fact most Nopon would not leave until they were at least 18 years of age.<p>

"Now, children, there are lots of dangerous monsters, even on our doorstep..." The teacher began. The point of the lesson was not to frighten the children, nor was it to force them into protecting their homes, after all, the youngest Nopon (Riki) was only two years of age. It did not have the desired effect on the young Nopon.

Riki rushed back home in the desperate hope to find his parents, to help him prepare for the impromptu attack of all the Eks, Feris, Orluga and Nebula in the entire forest. His mother was nowhere to be found, as normal at this time she would often head to the flower groves in order to pick flowers to make the fragrances she sold to visitors for a little extra cash. His father was most likely at work.

Riki needed to find something to protect himself! All he could find in his bag was his ruler, a strange wooden contraption designed after one a Homs visitor had once left. He didn't want to break it as they took ages to craft. He slammed his way through the house, eventually stumbling across the brand new biter made from the horn of the monstrous dinosaurs which cruised around the main entrance to the village.

Riki was still small, and stumbled as soon as he lifted it. He fell back into a table, dropping the heavy biter straight onto his head.

"Ooof!" He shook himself back to reality and tried to lift the biter again, this time he braced himself for the extra weight and managed to hoist it above his head.

He began to swing it around above him, feeling empowered. Despite still being underdeveloped, the wings were still the strongest part of a Nopon. He swung harder and faster, until he let go unintentionally, and the biter flew into the vials his mother stored her fragrances in with the same strength as the force of Thor's hammer crashing to the earth.

The oils burnt his nostrils. These were concentrated fragrances, still, he tried to block out the burning sensation as much as possible to clutch the now slippery biter. He swung again, hearing a scratching at the door. Riki was now on high alert.

"How could the monsters have found Riki so soon?" He cried out. He then bit his lip for making the monsters aware of his presence.

Riki's father was walking back to the modest little hut he shared with his wifeypon and child. It was then he spotted Riki's uncle, the young Drara at the door.

"Drara? Something wrong?" Rara asked.

"Riki ran away scared from class today, I wanted to fetch him back!" Rara often forgot that Drara was only a couple of years older than his nephew, so was still a child himself and still attended school.

He could hear a disturbance getting closer and closer to the door as he approached Drara.

"Drara, move!" Rara rushed forward and rolled Drara out the way as the mighty biter smashed straight through the door frame. Fortunately, Rara managed to catch it in his strong arms.

"Drarapon, are you ok?"

"Uh-huh." Little Drara nodded.

"Rikipon!" His dad screamed, clutching the biter tight, which stunk horribly of scented oils.

He was mad at Riki, until he saw the mass of fur lying in the middle of the floor, his nostrils and cheeks bright red from the burning of the oil, and crying over the fear of the monsters.

"Dadapon! Dadapon! The monsters!"

"Monsters? Rikipon, teacher didn't mean to scare us, no monsters attack village!" Drara declared.

"R-really?" Riki sniffled.

"Really." Rara ruffled his son's hair.

"Dadapon, my nose is itchy!"

"Riki's face is bright red, let's take you to doctor." Riki sniffled again and nodded, wiping his tears away. "And Rikipon, no playing with a biter, ever!"

* * *

><p>"Riki plays with biter all the time now though!" Riki pointed out.<p>

"Yes, Rikipon always play with biter. But Rikipon is also very careful now, so he doesn't break mamapon's vials and give himself illness!"

"Dadapon, is that why Riki's nose always itches when he fights, cause of oils in nose when babypon?"

"Something like that." His dad shrugged. "Now sleepytime!"

* * *

><p>AN Happy holidays to all! And will be updating when was your before Christmas too!


	4. Riki remembers when he meets Oka

A/N thanks so much for patience regarding story updates for this particular story, anyway, enjoy! Please leave reviews if it's good!

* * *

><p>"Riki, wake." His father shook him violently.<p>

"Ooof, dadapon?" Riki whimpered.

"We need to dress to cross the mountains."

"Why? Rikipon should be fine in these clothes? Shouldn't he?" The fifteen year old grumbled, he hated being woken.

"Rikipon, mountains are cold places, you will freeze."

-x-x-

The cold mountain was a shock in more than one way to the teenage Nopon. He was bundled in layers of fur and was carrying a lot of the camping gear on his back, yet the cold still gripped him. It didn't matter though, the mountains were beautiful, he'd never seen a landscape of nothing but white and ether before. He'd often slipped over in the wet snow, wondering how it was his father, who was not much bigger than him remained upright.

"Rikipon!" His father slid to his side to quickly knock an oncoming Chiklin out over the snow. "Stay close, nearly at the Hollow Bone."

"The what?" Riki wimpered under the weight he carried.

"Riki no scared is he?"

"N-No! No! Riki never scared!" He declared, in truth, he had a fear of anything that looked dead, so seeing bones would be a new fear for him.

The snowstorm blew for almost the entire five hours it took them to trek to the bottom, in that time though, Riki had come to the conclusion his father was, in fact, a far better warrior than he was given credit for.

Riki gulped when he reached the bone-structure protruding from the ice.

"Rikipon should like this bit." His dad edged him closer and closer to the entrance.

"Why?"

"Rikipon, look!" He pointed with his wing off into the distance.

"Dadapon I no see-!" He was cut shut as his dad pushed him straight into the tunnel of sheet ice. He screamed.

"Rikipon!" His dad declared happily, sliding straight down after him.

He crashed into the hot spring lake, shooting a stream of water far higher than a small Nopon should upon impact. He struggled to the surface, kicking his rather stubbly legs and flapping his wings to pull himself up to the surface. He coughed and spluttered as his dad splashed into the lake a few feet away.

"Dada!" He scowled, splashing water over his father's face.

"Haha, sorry Rikipon." His father swam past him. Dumping the wet camping gear near the mouth of the exit. Riki did the same, watching as his father swam back to the middle and laid in the water, floating like a small beach ball.

"Relax a little Rikipon." Riki wasn't as confident as his father in water, so chose to swim and paddle closer to his father. "Only have to trek down the hill now, we'll be at the Nopon camp where rocks are, and our ride back home."

-x-x-

At the Nopon camp, the head architect took Rara off to one side, discussing the latest excavation they had made in great detail. Discussing those weird stones Riki and his father had spent the day trekking down the mountain side for. Riki struggled to understand, so gave up, wondered off to the side and took a seat with the younger members of the excavation team. These members were aged between sixteen and twenty. Many of the younger members had taken time away from their education and were friends with Riki.

"Rikipon!" A young female Nopon called from further down the slopes. "Over here!" Rikipon sneezed before glancing up, he couldn't believe it! It was Aja!

"Aja!" He declared as the female Nopon charged up the snow towards him.

Before he realised, he was engulfed in the bigger Nopon's wings, being pressed deep into her pink fur. She pulled him up off the floor as she hugged tighter. His little feet kicking wildly as he struggled to breathe, inhaling her fur.

"Ajapon, please loosen up on Riki." His father laughed.

"Oops, sorry Rarapon!" She dropped Riki to the floor, he gasped for air, swallowing a mouthful of snow instead.

"Good girl." And off his father went to check out the lumps of rock with the excavation leader.

"Drink?" She offers Riki a mug of steaming liquid as he coughs and pulls himself up onto a barrel in front of the table.

"What is it?" Riki asks, wrapping his wings around the mug and feeling a wonderful warmth course up his wings and straight down into his belly.

"Armu milk with forest flowers infused." Aja spoke much more articulated words than other Nopon. She was being taught how to be an ambassador for the Nopon people while she was at home, but for now, she was working on the excavation site for fun.

"Delicious!" Riki declared as he took a sip. He then fell silent and sighed.

"You miss her already, don't you Rikipon?"

"Miss who?"

"My sister of course! Oka!" Riki went crimson, burning with embarrassment. "Got you Rikipon!"

"N-no!" He blurted out.

"Yes you do."

* * *

><p>Riki was four, today was the day new members of the class were initiated. Mostly two or three year old Nopons would join the ranks of the junior Nopon class where Riki was. Like all small children he decided to eye up new members of his class. One particular Nopon caught his eyes.<p>

She was very small, pottering on beside the other, bigger two year old Nopon. He'd never seen this Nopon before.  
>"Oka, you can take the empty seat near the front, next to Rikipon." Teacher pointed her wing to the vacant space on Riki's desk. Since the event with the monsters, Riki had been positioned at the front of the class so he listened attentively. Oka, the new very tiny Nopon pulled out the chair next to him and tried to climb onto the chair. She struggled as she was so tiny.<p>

"Want any help?" Riki offered out his wing for her.

"Uh...t-thanks." She nervously reached out and Riki helped pull her onto her chair.

Riki was fascinated by this tiny, and very intelligent creature. She was very pretty, with lilac fur, the rarest of all the Nopon colours, she also had a curious star marking on her cheek and a second on her belly. He recognised the star on the cheek from an older female Nopon in his class when he first started. Maybe they were related.

This was the very first day he met Oka, his future wife. When she was two years old.

* * *

><p>"Rikipon!" Aja yelled him back to attention. "It's getting dark soon, you and Rarapon don't seem to be any ready to go so I can go set up a tent for you if you like." She filled his mug with more Jasmine milk and left him to stare off into space.<p>

* * *

><p>"Riki! Riki!" Oka came charging out. "Wait Riki!" She called. Riki and Oka had become good friends in the two years she'd been in school. Riki had since progressed into the Middle class, as he was now six. He was now back with Aja, the older, well educated sister of Oka. A normal sized pink Nopon who also had the star shape embellished on her cheek.<p>

"What wrong Oka?" Riki asked, turning to face the still smaller-than-average Oka.

"Will you walk me home?" She asked, her big sapphire eyes glowing.

"Ok, we go to my house first." Riki was unsure where the two sisters lived. He knew Drara knew, as he was good friends with Aja.

They abandoned Riki's stuff in the living room of his family home before setting off to where Drara went to play sports.

"Riki?" Oka lagged behind, being so small.

"Yes Okapon?"

"Slow down!" She cried out, struggling to catch up.

"Eep, sorry. Riki forget you're smaller than him." He tried to slow his pace to match hers but soon found himself speeding back up.

"Riki!" She scowled, but now they were outside so he didn't hear her and continued to walk on ahead. She charged ahead, launching herself into the air and wrapping her wings around his body. Her body was several inches from the floor, her legs kicking wildly in the air. Riki spluttered unable to breathe so used his wings to prise hers apart and hold them and carry her over his back.

-x-x-

Drara was playing Pollenball, an adaptation of a game from a Homs visitor which involved running around a field, kicking a pollen orb which had grown too much and was just the right size for a small Nopon to kick, larger Nopon played the game with the bigger pollen orbs which had grown in hard to reach places and had continued to grow far too much, to the point where it was less about kicking the ball and more about picking it up and throwing it.

Oka had slid down from Riki's back before they'd reached the playing field near the lake.

"Riki! Riki!" Drara called. "Come play!" Riki's eyes lit up and excitement overwhelmed him as he wanted to so desperately play the game with the boys.

"B-but Riki!" Oka snatched his wing in hers as he almost went to run forward.

"Yes Oka?"

"I'm tired and I want to go home!" Her eyes filled with tears as tiredness began to overwhelm her body.

Riki was faced with a decision, play his favourite game with Drara or take the small Nopon he had promised to take home back right away. He looked at those sweet little eyes; captivated by the beautiful sapphire blue crystal colour her tears turned her eyes.

"I...I...no thanks Drarapon. I need to take Okapon home." Riki shook his head.

"Riki's got a girlfriend, Riki's got a girlfriend!" The other Nopon taunted as he took Oka's wing to keep her walking at his pace as they set off towards her house. He glared at them before continuing off with Oka.

* * *

><p>Riki sighed heavily as he took a sip of the Jasmine tea.<p>

"Wonder what Okapon doing now..." He sighed again. "Riki really miss her..."


	5. Riki's not sure what a Hom is

A/N so sorry for not updating this story in forever, busy with exams and the such, so haven't had much free time, now I have surplus so figured I'd get writing again!

* * *

><p>Riki had spent the night huddled up between a herd of Armu, in the warm, toasty stables that the Nopon working the excavation site were using to transport equipment. These Armu, unlike those creatures that looked almost the same on the way down the hill, did not have the same thick woolly fur that they possessed, and were thus huddling together to keep warm.<p>

"Hey! Rikipon!" Aja woke him. "Guess what Rikipon?" She shook him more violently to speed up his waking.

"Aja? What matter?" He shook his head rapidly.

"I'm going with you to see the Hom Homs! They're going to teach me about the world!"

And now, Riki was stuck travelling with a girl. Let alone a girl who wouldn't stop talking as they saddled Armus and headed back up towards the forest dragging the trailer of rocks for the Homs behind them.

-x-x-

"Rikipon!" His father called from his seat at the trailer, being dragged by two buff looking Armu. "Look out for enemies trying to steal the Hom Hom rocks!"

"Dadapon! I am!" He called from a smaller Armu, saddled up and plodding on behind the trailer.

-x-x-

As night fell and they came closer to exiting the Forest, Riki felt a little homesick. He'd never been away from Makna before, and already, he was missing it more than anything in the world, despite not actually leaving yet.

"We'll stop here." His father pulled his Armu to a halt, the trailer grinding to a halt. "Ajapon fallen asleep..." He pointed to the large pink ball asleep next to him in the trailer's seat.

"Finally." Riki sulked.

"Dadapon?" Riki was sat next to his Armu, watching it peacefully chew the thick, gritty grass while his own dinner was being prepared by the now very awake Aja.

"Yes Rikipon?" His father lowered his biter to the grass and took a seat next to his son.

"Have you left Makna before?"

"Yes Riki, lots of time before you born." He stretched his tiny limbs and leaned back on his wings. "Been to settlement we go to before now too. Far away, at Bionis Leg."

"Dadapon, Riki scared." He checked to make sure Aja was a good distance away and thus couldn't hear that.

"Riki, good to be scared. Fear make Riki stronger!" His father declared valiently.

"Riki no even met Hom Hom before..." He whimpered.

"Hom Hom like Sky People, only Hom Hom not magic." His father tried to explain. "You remember Bird People? Melia?"

* * *

><p>Riki was ten years of age.<p>

"Okapon! Okapon! Wake up!" He called through her door. "Please Okapon."

"Silent Rikipon!" Someone grumbled from inside. Aja, then twelve emerged. "Aja learning about the Bird People before they get here."

"Bird People?" Riki repeated. "Riki no hear about bird people."

"That's because Riki too busy playing Pollenball with Oka!" Aja pulled him inside their house. "Bird People are magic!"  
>"How so?" Riki asked, curiousity plastered all over his face.<p>

"Bird people live above Nopon, in Bionis Head. Bird People very clever too. Stories say bird people age slow."

"Age slow?" Riki tilted his head to one side.

"Yup, legend say youngest Bird person fifty eight, but look twelve. Can you imagine? No looking old?"

"Boring!" Oka called out, distracting her sister.

"Maybe to you Okapon." She sulked. "Riki, Oka, the Bird People are coming to visit later? Why don't you come say hello? I'm acting as spokesperson along with Chief Dunga."

"Oh, that why Ajapon practice in front of mirror all night?" Oka asked.

"Exactly, now run along my sister and Riki, the lesser Nopons." Aja teased.

"Hey!" Oka cried out.

"I'm kidding now go scram and play Pollenball."

-x-x-

"What that noise?" Drara asked. "Sound like big horns!" He began to take off up the ramp to the main entrance of the village. "Bird People here! Go play up on ramp, so can see bird people, yes?"

"Ok." Little Oka cuddled their pollen orb close to her chest and held it only an inch or two off the ground. As they reached the top of the ramp and towards the entry to the village she tripped. Causing the pollen orb to go rolling.

"Oops!" She went chasing after it as fast as her tiny little legs could carry her.

"Oka!" Riki cried chasing after her.

The Pollen Orb rolled towards the visitors in the strange armour, tapping the smallish female visitor on the end, right in the ankle. Everything fell silent as she turned to see what the distraction was. Kneeling down to scoop up the orb she spotted the two young Nopon charging after it.

"O-oh! I'm sorry!" Oka cried out, tears streaming from her eyes uncontrollably.

"Aw, aren't you a cute one?" The teenage girl lifted Oka from the ground.

"Hey! Give her back!" Riki growled, only to be jabbed harshly with a weapon from one of the girl's bodyguards.

"Okapon! Oh this is so embarrassing!" Aja cried out.

"So this one is related to you?" The old man in the middle, stood between the young man and this little girl questioned.

"Yes Emperor, this is Oka, my little sister, and that one there is Riki, her friend. Princess Melia, forgive their intrusion." Aja was most apologetic.

"Y-you're a princess?" Okapon asked. "Those people who will one day rule the place they live?"

"Um-hm, me and my brother Calian may one day rule our empire." The girl nodded.

"Forgive us princess." Riki mumbled.

"No problem." The girl giggled. "You look so cuddly!" She said to Oka as she was pulled closer to the girl's chest.

Despite looking twelve years old, she revealed during a game of Pollenball with the young Nopon that she was in fact, fifty eight years old. This was a younger Melia, whom, by the next time she would meet Riki would no longer recognise him.

* * *

><p>"So Hom Hom like Bird People but age like us?" Riki asked. Aja had since fallen asleep during his and his dad's conversation.<p>

"Yep." His father nodded.

"Dadapon, did you hear something?"

"Thieves. Go wake up Aja, throw everything onto trailer. I hold them off." He snatched his biter up from the grass and suddenly all manor of the tiny imp-like Hoodlums appeared from the bushes. Riki wasn't sure how long his dad was going to hold up, so he quickly rushed to wake Aja.

"Ajapon, wake up. Being attacked." Aja woke with a fright. "Go tie other Armu to trailer, Riki throw equipment into back of trailer."

Equipment loaded, his father had taken quite a beating but was still fighting. He rushed to grab his biter and with one swing, he shattered the glass that contained his frog over a Hoodlum's head, and the creature had skulked away. His dad was injured, not mortally, but injured none the less.

"Rikipon, let's get Rarapon onto trailer seat, I hold him while you make Armu move. I patch him up while we move."

"That way Rikipon." His father pointed up towards where the mouth of the forest narrowed, and the entrance to the Bionis' interior was revealed. He panted, his wounds were healing quick, and he noted that his son had broken his biter trying to help him. Had he not been so overwhelmed he'd have been fine on his own.

"Rikipon, ok to stop." His dad spoke quietly as they entered the interior of the bionis.

"You sure?"

"No Hoodlum able to leave forest, too cold." His father explained. "Rara need rest, wounds heal soon, now sleepy time though." Riki set up his dad's tent then sat with his smashed up biter.

"Riki stronger than he looks." Aja giggled. "Maybe Riki isn't so wrong for Oka." She smiled. "Rara be ok, he sleep off injuries."

"I know." Riki sulked.

"Your biter? You built this?"

"Uh-huh. Riki spent weeks trying to catch frog for glass too!" He sniffled.

"Riki, biter be fixed by Hom Homs! Homs engineers very clever!" She declared.

"You think?" Riki brightened up a little.

"Aja sure!"


End file.
